There's no denying that the CBS drama "Two and a Half Men" has a permanent place in the sitcom zeitgeist, in part due not only to its comedic nature but also to its extensive list of guest stars. Running for more than 12 years (after the deaths of two of its main cast members, Charlie Sheen and Angus T. Jones), the show attracted numerous guest appearances from well-known Hollywood celebrities. Let's be honest, everyone from Kathy Bates to Miley Cyrus has been on this show. Despite the large crowds, the high praise for these appearances did not diminish the more the show went on. For example, Bates' portrayal of the ghost of Charlie Harper (Sheen) won her an Emmy.
It's worth noting, however, that the show's guest list is mostly female - interesting, considering the show is called Two and a Half Men . Given that solid female roles aren't the easiest to come by in Hollywood, we should give credit where credit is due: Two and a Half Men offers plenty of them. They always go to some of the funniest actresses and comedians in the industry.
With that being said, let's take a moment to celebrate the actresses who have made memorable cameos on Two and a Half Men . You might even have forgotten that some of these ladies have appeared in the series.
1. April Bowlby as Kandi
The model-turned-actress played Allen's girlfriend (and later ex-wife).
2. Missy Pyle as Dolores Pasternak
Pyle is great as Jack's teacher Ms. Pasternak, mostly because of her love of grammar.
3. Paget Brewster as Jamie Ackerberry
In Season 2, Brewster finally seeks revenge on Charlie and Ellen for the bullying she suffered when she was younger.
4. Allison Janney as Beverly
Jenny became Allen's brief love interest after the two met on a dating website. Even though her appearance was short, Jenny was always making crazy ha-ha noises and brought a lot to the table as an actress.
5. Cloris Leachman as Nora
In a hilarious subversion of the sugar daddy trope, Ellen dated Norma (a much older, wealthier woman) in season three. It sounded promising, but ended up being a bad decision. She died while having sex with Alan. oops.
6. Ming-Na Wen plays Linda Harris
In season five, Wan played the judge who sentenced Charlie after a drunken driving incident. She was one of the few women Charlie didn't sleep with right away, and she was actually able to put him in his place.
7. Judy Greer as Myra Melnyk and Bridget Schmidt
Everyone's favorite co-star is so good at co-starring that she actually plays two different characters on the show. First, she had a brief romance with Charlie (Charlie) Myra Melnick in season four. She then played Bridget, the ex-wife of Walden Schmidt (Ashton Kutcher), in season nine.
8. Brooke Shields plays Danielle Stewart
In season four, Shields entered the show as a possible love interest for Ellen. But naturally, Charlie becomes interested in her instead. Eventually, she proposes a threesome to Charlie and Alan, but they ultimately reject her.
9. Jenny McCarthy as Courtney Leopold
Jenny McCarthy's Courtney was more dynamic than some of the other guest characters (she even reappeared in a few seasons).
10. Miley Cyrus as Missy
Cyrus plays the daughter of one of Walden's friends and Jack's first real love interest. She refers to her boobs as the "Kardashians" and does so with an exaggerated Southern accent.
11. Teri Hatcher as Lizzie
Liz doesn't remember having sex with Charlie at Ellen's wedding several years ago, so she starts fighting with Charlie over money.
12. Hilary Duff as Stacey
Stacey, played by Hilary Duff, dated Walden in a season 10 episode. Even though she was a communications major at Arizona State University, she was apparently unable to carry on a conversation. Duff plays this boring character with ease. Maybe I'm biased, but I've never been mad at seeing Lizzie McGuire back on my screen.
13. Megan Fox as Prudence
Three years before Transformers hit the big screen, Foxx played Prudence, the granddaughter of Charlie's butler, in the first season.
14. Denise Richards as Lisa
During the filming of seasons one and two, Denise Richards and Charlie Sheen were together in real life, which made their storylines all the more interesting. Richards plays Lisa, Charlie's ex-girlfriend who blames him for her serious commitment issues. Two people, well...never made it work. As they say: life imitates art.
15. Mila Kunis as Vivian
Free spirit, world traveler, the love interest of real-life husband Ashton Kutcher — what more could you want from Mila Kunis in a cameo? Honestly, it's always fun to see Jackie and Kelso together on screen. (There's even a "That 70's Show" homage in her episode!)
16. Heather Locklear as Laura Long
Locklear played Laura Long, Ellen's divorce attorney who ended up having an affair with Charlie in season one. She convinces Charlie to promise her he'll have sex whenever she asks - and once he fails to live up to that promise, she deliberately messes up Ellen's divorce settlement. #win.
17. Jenna Elfman plays Frankie, but mainly plays Damar Montgomery
In season one, Elfman's character Frankie was more of an afterthought. But years later, Elfman returned in season nine to reprise his role as Dharma on the beloved sitcom Dharma & Greg . It's a collision of geniuses in the worlds of sitcoms.
18. Kathy Bates as Charlie Harper’s Ghost
Bates plays Charlie's ghost in perhaps one of the most memorable guest stars ever. She comes to visit Ellen in the hospital, and after he's confused, Bates explains, "I'm in hell. Walking around in this old woman's body should be some kind of eternal damnation. You know what? About them Joke boobs or boobs!” Um…Charlie Harper objectifies himself as a sex object? I guess that's what they call "a taste of your own medicine," isn't it?
No matter how important their role in the show, the performances of these female guest stars are unforgettable.
Image: Warner Bros. Television; F*ckyeah-twoandahalfmen/Tumblr
